iPhone: The Missing Manual, 9th Edition

Chapter 17. The Corporate iPhone

In its younger days, people thought of the iPhone as a personal device, meant for consumers and not for corporations. But somebody at Apple must have gotten sick of hearing, “Well, the iPhone is cool, but it’s no BlackBerry.” The iPhone now has the security and compatibility features your corporate technical overlords require. (And the BlackBerry—well…)

Even better, the iPhone can talk to Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync servers, staples of corporate computer departments that, among other things, keep smartphones wirelessly updated with the calendar, contacts, and email back at the office. (Yes, it sounds a lot like MobileMe or iCloud. Which is probably why Apple’s MobileMe slogan was, “Exchange for the rest of us.”)

The Perks

This chapter is intended for you, the iPhone owner—not for the highly paid, well-trained, exceedingly friendly IT (information technology) managers at your company.

Your first task is to convince them that your iPhone is now secure and compatible enough to welcome into the company’s network. Here’s some information you can use:

• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. Exchange ActiveSync is the technology that keeps smartphones wirelessly synced with the data on the mother ship’s computers. The iPhone works with Exchange ActiveSync, so it can remain in wireless contact with your company’s Exchange servers exactly like BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones do.

  Your email, address book, and calendar appointments are now sent wirelessly to your iPhone ...